The Armory Show, 1913

In 1913, the American public was introduced to avant-garde European art styles at the International Exhibition of Modern Art, held at the Lexington Avenue Armory and known as the Armory Show. Organized by the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, the Armory Show created a sensation; the controversial and radical art displayed there proved to be a watershed in the development of 20th-century American art.

The Armory Show was a transformative event in the history of art in America. Artists, critics, and the public were exposed to avant-garde Futurist, Cubist, and Fauve work by European artists that challenged America’s conservative outlook. Scandalous works like Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase were lampooned in New York’s daily press. In Chicago, copies of Matisse paintings were burned and a mock trial was held, finding the artist guilty of ‘artistic murder’ and ‘general esthetic aberration.’ Many American artists responded favorably to the exhibition, developing progressive styles that helped lay the groundwork for America’s artistic predominance later in the century.